Internal-combustion engine.



PATENIED JULY 9, 1907.

E. GROWE. N INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23, 1905.

0 Z W Z M r T 4 W M m average pressure and the maximum UNITED srnrnsPATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD OROWE, OF REDCAR, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO DAVY BROTHERS LIMITED, OF

v SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND.

IN TERN .AL-COMB USTION ENGINE Specification of Letters Patent.Application filed March 23,1905. Serial No. 251,614.

Patented July 9, 1907.

" the King of Great Britain, residing at 25 Teresa Terrace,-

Coatham, Redcar, Yorkshire, England, engineer, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in an Internal-Combustion Engine, of which thefollowing is a specification.

' This invention has for its object to provide an internal combustionengine wherein premature explosion is rendered impossible and whereinthe maximum temperature and pressure being developed at the commencementof the working stroke,-the highest possible power are obtainable with agiven capacity of cylinder.

In internal combustion engines working on the Otto or four-phase cycle,as heretoforeconstructed, the constituents of the explosive charge havebeen mixed prior to or during compression, with the result that thepower obtainable has been limited in consequence of they necessity foravoiding compressing the mixture so far as to raise its temperature to apoint at which premature ignition is liable to occur. This defect hasbeen partially overcome by the provision of additional .water-cooledsurfaces within the compression space, but such devices besides causingwaste of heat, are apt to be rendered of no effect in the event forexample of dirt or deposit accumulating on the walls of the compressionspace.

According to the present invention the air required for effectingcomplete combustion of the fuel, and the fuel itself (consisting ofcombustible gas or vapor or a non-explosive mixture of the same with airor inert gas) are compressed separately;

compressed by an independent pumpand admitted to the combustion chamberof the motor cylinder only cylinder insuch relative proportions andcompressed to such an extent as will enable the development of muchgreater power than has heretofore been obtainable; the arrangement alsoserving tosecure various other advantages tending to increase themechanical and thermal efiiciency of the engine.

Reference is to be had to the accompanyingdrawing which shows anelevation of one form of engine constructed according to this invention,in section-on the plane wherein lie the axes of the inders. It ishowever to be understood that although the form of engine illustrated isconvenient, the invention is not limited to su ch'form,

the air alone being: compressed in the motor cylinder while the fuel ismotor and pump cyland that any other whereby to carry into referred to,may be design or arrangement of parts, practice the principle aboveadopted.

A is the motor cylinder whereof the piston A is coupled by theconnecting rod B shaft 0.

D is the pump cylinder whereof the piston D be coupled by the connectingrodE to the crank b (or we crank co-axial therewith) when, as in thecase illustrated, the axes of the two cylinders are at right angles toone another. The cylinders A and D are to the crank 17 on the mayprovided respectively with cooling jackets A and D which extendthroughout their effective length. i F is the compression space at therear end of the motor cylinder, the air and fuel inlets and the'exhaustall opening through the walls of this space,

The exhaiist valve G of the .motor cylinder closes outwardly and isopened against the pressure of the spring 9 by means of a cam g which ismounted on a shaft H revolving at one-half the speed of the crank shaft0. The cam 9 may actuate the valve G through a lever h as shown. a

J is the air infet valve of the motor cylinder which may be arranged toopen automatically against the pressure of the spring j during thesuction stroke of the piston A the pressure generated within the motorcylinder during the working stroke serving with spring j) to then holdthe valve closed;

The fuel inlet valve K of the motor cylinder closes inwardly and isopened, at the end of the compression stroke of the piston A against thepressure of the spring is by means of a cam k rotated by (.or at thesame speed as) the shaft H; the cam being of such form as to allow ofthe introduction of the. fuel proceeding at a rate corresponding to thatat which combustion progresses. i

A sparking plug is provided in the compression space F as at L.

M is the fuel suction valve at the rear of the pump pressure of thespring" m at each suction stroke of the (conjointly' piston D and N isthe pump delivery valve which may open outwardly against spring pressureand which is connected to the fuel inlet valve K of the motor cylinderby a pipe 0 whereon an intermediate reservoir 0 maybe provided. Thesupply of fuel to the pump cylinder D is regulated by the enginegovernor R which is made to actuate valves as at P and Q on branch pipesp and q leading to the valve M; the valve P controlling. the admissionof gas or combustible vapor and the. valve Q that of air when such isused to form a non- 105 explosive mixture before compression.

ture of combustible and inert gases) from the reservoir exhaust strokethe exhaust valve G is at the end of its compression stroke, thecompression whether combustible or inert, as is due to the'combusowingto the fact of its being ignited at the moment The action of the engineis as follows -Assuming the parts to be in position shown, with themotor piston A space F will contain a charge of compressed air. At thismoment (or slightly earlier) the fuel inlet valve K is opened thusadmitting the combustible gas (or mix- O'to the compression space; whileat the same time an electric current is passed through the sparking plugL. The combustible gas entering the compression space F being thusignited, burns in the air compressed in said space, the introduction ofthe fuelproceeding at a rate corresponding to that at which combustionprogresses. The whole contents of the compression space F are thusheated to a temperature corresponding to the amount of combustible gasadmitted. Consequently the pressure in space F rises in consequencenotonly of the introduction of the charge through valve K, but also of suchincreased temperature of the gases,

tion. The motor piston A is thus caused to perform its active stroke, atthe conclusion of which the exhaust valve G is opened so that on thereturn or exhaust stroke of the piston the contents of the motorcylinder A are expelled. At the conclusion of this closed and, on thepiston A performing its next or inhaling stroke, fresh air will be drawnin through the valve J to fill the motor cylinder. On the piston Acommencing its next return or compression stroke the air inlet valve- Jwill close, and during the said stroke the'air which now fills thecylinder A will be compressed intospace F until, on the piston Areaching the end of its compression stroke, the fuel inlet valve K willbe again opened as before and the cycle described will be repeated.

As a charge of combustible gas' (or of amixture of combustible gas withair or inert gas) will be compressed in the pump cylinder D at eachrevolution of the crank shaft 0, While the fuel inlet valve K isonlyopened at every second revolution, it follows that I the capacity of thepump cylinder D need only be one-half that of the charge admittedthrough valve K to the motor cylinder A. That is to say if for examplethe volume of -the charge (wholly or partly combustible) to be admittedthrough valve Kto the motor cylinder be equal to two-thirds the volumeof the air compressed within the motor cylinder, the capacity of thepump cylinder D should be equal to one-third that of the motor cylinderA; -or in si ilar circumstances a single pump cylinder having gwbthirdsthe capacity of the motor cylinder woul e capable of serving two suchmotor cylinders In any case the governing of the engine is effected byregulating vthe quantity of combustible gas or vapor admitted throughvalve 1 to the pump cylinder D, the quantity of air compressed in themotor cylinder Aremaining constant. The arrangement as a whole admits ofa very fine adjustment of the fuel consumption being effected, since,however small the quantity ofcombustible gas or vapor admitted to thecylinder A, this gas or. vapor cannot fail to hum,

of entering the space F. r

, motor cylinder, a

When the engine is running light andthe minimum quantity of combustiblegas or vapor is being used, the terminal pressure in the workingcylinder A will be. only slightly higher'than "atmospheric pressure, sothat the engine will work very economically with light loads. As theload increases and a greaterquairtity of combustible gas or vapor isadmitted to the motor cylinder A, the terminal pressure will rise inconsequence both of the increased volume of gases in the cylinder andthe higher temperature developed. Hence the most economical workingconditions will be attained at a point between no load and full load,

above which intermediate point the engine willpossess a considerablereserve of power which can be exerted on emergency but which, owing tothe higher terminal pressure resulting from its development, would beemployed under somewhat less economical conditions;

With a'vievngo employing the'engine to the greatest advantage byincreasing as much as possible the volume of gases within the motorcylinder during the working stroke, it is preferred to mix with thecombustible gas or vapor drawn into the pump cylinder D as high aproportion of air or inert gas as the combustible gas employed rendersadvisable. Thus for example, when using towns gas or coke oven gas theproportions of the mixture drawn into the'pump cylinder D may consist ofone volume of combustible gas to (say) two or three volumes of air orinert gas, or thereabouts according to the quality of the-combustiblegas. Supposing therefore that the propor-,

tions required in the final'mixture within the motor cylinder A atmaximum load are 9 parts of .air to one of rich combustible gas, whilethe mixture the pump cylinder D is composed of three parts of i air orinert gas to one part of said combustible gas, the

capacities of the pump and motor cylinders would require to be as 4 and6 respectively. Under these circumstanc'es, the capacity of the motorcylinder being 6, the total volume of gases doing work within it atmaximum load will be 1.0. If however blast furnace gas or producer gasbe employed, the proportions required in thefinal A may be (say) abouttwo volumes of such to three of air, and as blast furnace and producergas are. weak and already contain a larger percentage of inert gas(nitrogen for example) further dilution by means of air (admitted to thepump cylinder D) .is'not advisable.

Under these circumstances the. relative capacities of the pump and motorcylinders would be as 2 and 3 respectively, or the-same as when usingtowns or coke oven gas.

' Claims L within mixture within the motor cylinder quality of the 1.The combination with ah internal combustion engine working on afour-phase cycle and having a motor cylinder and piston adapted toachalternately, as an air compressorand as a motor, a fuel pumpingcylinder and piston for compressing combustible vapor to be consumed inthe valve-controlled communication between said cylinders adapted topermit the injection of a compressed charge from the fuel-pumpingcylinder into the motor cylinder at the conclusion of'that stroke of themotor piston, whereby air is compressed in said cylinder, and a devicefor causing ignition of the combustible vvapor L cylinder; of means foradmitting to the fuel-pumping cylinder, along with the combustihlevapor, air (or inert gas) in regulable quantity and proportion, and forcausing the-injection into the motor cylinder, after. compression, of agreater quantity or contents of the fuel-pumpingv cylinder than would bedrawn into the motor cylinder by the suction stroke of the pistontherein, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. An internal combustion engine of the character described. comprisinga motor cylinder and its piston. means for admitting air to thecylinder, a pumping cylinder and its piston, means for operating thepistons. means for con trolling the admission of gas and air to thepumping cylinder. a pipe connection bety'veen the cylinders. a valve forcontrolling the communication between the said cylinders. and means foroperating said valve, whereby air will be injected with the gas into themotor cylinder at the end of the stroke of its piston which compressesthe charge of air.

An internal combustion engine of the character described. a motorcylinder, a piston in the cylinder, an ex haust valve for the cylinder,an air inlet valve for the cylinder. a pumping cylinder. :1 piston inthe cylinder, :1 fuel suction valve for the cylinder, gas and air inletsleading to the fuel valve. valves controlling said gas and air inlets. apipe connection between the cylinders, a valve controlling the passageof the air and gas from the pump ing cylinder to the motor cylinder.means for operating the last named valve. and means for operating thesaid pistons.

Dated; this second day of March 1905.

EDWARD CROWE.

Witnesses Gno. SMITH,

